BOOK REVIEW THE HOUSE OF BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES BY CRESSIDA McLAUGHLIN

Abby Field loves every inch of Meadowsweet Nature Reserve on the idyllic Suffolk coast where she lives and works. Especially Swallowtail House, the rambling but empty country house that seems to look out at her each time she passes it’s shut-up windows.

When a TV wildlife programme choses a rival location for their new series, Meadowsweet is under threat – unless Abby can whip up a plan to keep the visitors flocking. But she finds herself distracted by the arrival of a brooding – and annoyingly handsome new neighbour… bad-boy novelist, Jack Westcoat.

With the pressure on, Abby and her cute rescue huskie, Raffle, must pull something special out of the bag. But with Jack in need of a good friend – and Abby feeling the pull of attraction, she can sense her resolve fluttering away…

What a beautiful book that reminds you why you love books so much.

Cressida is a fantastic storyteller with a exquisite imagination that reels you in

I have loved her previous books but this is my favourite , it had the right balance of elements. Love,loss, humour and all set in a gorgeous location

I swooned hard for Jack….perfect weekend reading.

Abby is a character I could relate to in a lot of ways, strong determined with her dog for company.

I wish cressida every success with this book and look forward to her next hunk ….I mean book.

BLOG TOUR PERFECT SILENCE BY HELEN FIELDS

When silence falls, who will hear their cries?

The body of a young girl is found dumped on the roadside on the outskirts of Edinburgh. When pathologists examine the remains, they make a gruesome discovery: the silhouette of a doll carved in the victim’s skin.

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are struggling to find leads in the case, until a doll made of skin is found nestled beside an abandoned baby.

After another young woman is found butchered, Luc and Ava realise the babydoll killer is playing a horrifying game. And it’s only a matter of time before he strikes again. Can they stop another victim from being silenced forever – or is it already too late?

Firstly a big thank you to Sabah for having me on the tour.

I absolulty love this series and for me this could me my favourite ..or close second… they are all epic !

This will hook you in straight away and will have you whizzing through to find the truth.

Incredibly chilling and addictive .

This is not for the faint hearted as very disturbing and Helen is able to describe gory expertly. Im always eager to know where these authors get such dark ideas?

Fast paced ,compelling and dark.

The charactars and the storyline are brilliantly written .

Very unpredictable and certainly left me with a chill.

Ive read and reviewed all of this series and i recommend them if you havent read yet.

I wish her every success and read on for a extract..

Published 23rd August

The last seven days of her life had begun with a mistake.
How many times were children told not to get too close to a
car asking for directions? She had been distracted, wondering
what to cook for dinner as she made her way to the local
supermarket in Sighthill. Zoey hadn’t noticed the car following
her, although she knew now that it had been. There had been
no sixth sense as she’d cut through a car park between tenements.
It hadn’t occurred to her that the man who wanted to know
how to get to the zoo might have a large knife up his sleeve,
ready and waiting to poke into the side of her neck. Get into
the car or bleed out in the parking lot, had been her options.
She wished she’d chosen the latter in hindsight. It would all
have come out the same in the end.
In the passenger seat, knife pointed into her chest, he had
told her to put on handcuffs. Her hands had shaken so badly that she hadn’t been able to close the locks until the fourth
attempt. Just rape me, she’d thought. Just get whatever this is
out of your system. Use me, then let me go. But let me live.
Please let me live. I crossed so many days off in red pen. It’s
not fair for me to die now. The man had driven her further
away, beyond the scope of roads she recognised as she lay
across the rear seat. No bravery had been lacking. She’d slipped
a foot under the door handle and tried to prise it open, only
to find the child locks engaged. Dark windows at the rear of
the vehicle had ruined her chances of waving for help. Even
attempting to hit the man over the head with her bound
hands had won her nothing but a contemptuous laugh and
an elbow in her eye.
‘Please don’t kill me,’ she’d said, as they’d finally pulled up into
an overgrown driveway.
‘I’m not going to,’ he’d said. ‘But you’ve been a bad girl.’
‘What?’ she’d asked, her mouth dry with fear and the shameful
knowledge that her bladder had allowed its contents to run
away, even while the rest of her couldn’t.
‘I need you to say it,’ the man had said calmly. ‘You’ve been
a bad girl, haven’t you?’

BOOK REVIEW WHILE I WAS SLEEPING BY DANI ATKINS

What if someone else was living your happy ever after?
When Maddie wakes up in a hospital bed, she can’t remember anything about what happened to her or what has changed.
She just remembers she was about to be married and had everything to look forward to.
But it seems life has become a lot more complicated while she has been asleep …

Firstly a big thank you to sj at books and the city for my proof cooy.

I am a huge Dani Atkins fan ,you know you are in for a weepy read each time she brings a new one out.

Beautifully written and such a great concept

Heartbreaking and completely unpredictable.

The beauty and magic of love family and new beginnings.

You will be swept away with this story.

Published 23rd August and i wish her every success .

BLOG TOUR 11 MISSED CALLS BY ELISABETH CARPENTER

Here are two things I know about my mother:
1. She had dark hair, like mine.
2. She wasn’t very happy at the end.

Anna has always believed that her mother, Debbie, died 30 years ago on the night she disappeared.

But when her father gets a strange note, she realises that she’s never been told the full story of what happened that night on the cliff.

Confused and upset, Anna turns to her husband Jack – but when she finds a love letter from another woman in his wallet, she realises there’s no-one left to help her, least of all her family.

And then a body is found…

Firstly a big thank you to Sabah for my copy and having me on the tour.

Loved her debut so was excited to read this.

This is an amazing book.

She sure knows how to write a twisty thriller that makes you feel on edge.

As someone who has a lot of experience of mental illness includibg pnd i want to congraluate her on writing it so well . She has captured the essence of the claustaphobic horrible feeling that come with it.

Excellently written and thought provoking. Packed with suspense this will have you hooked.

Do check out the other blogs taking part.

BOOK REVIEW THE WALLS BY HOLLIE OVERTON

What if murder is your only way out?

Single mom Kristy Tucker works as a press agent for the Texas Department of Corrections handling everything on death row from inmate interviews, to chronicling the last moments during an execution. Her job exposes Kristy to the worst of humanity and it’s one that’s beginning to take its toll.

So when Kristy meets Lance Dobson, her son’s martial arts instructor, she believes she’s finally found her happy ending. She’s wrong.

Kristy soon discovers that Lance is a monster. Forced to endure his verbal and physical abuse, Kristy is serving her own life sentence . . . unless she’s willing to take matters into her own hands. Perfectly poised to exploit the criminal justice system she knows so well, Kristy sets out to get rid of Lance – permanently.

Firstly i absolutly loved Hollies debut baby doll so was excited to see this in my library.

Raced through this and connected to me in many ways .

This cleverly examines how domestic abuse happens and how it can happen to anyone.

What do you when you are desperate and have to protect you and your family.

I loved the insight into her job and the strength and resilience Kristy has in life.

Incredible book and i cant wait to read more from this author.

BOOK REVIEW WHEN I FIND YOU BY EMMA CURTIS

What do you do when someone takes advantage of your greatest weakness?
When Laura wakes up after her office Christmas party and sees a man’s shirt on the floor, she is horrified. But this is no ordinary one-night-stand regret.
Laura suffers from severe face-blindness, a condition that means she is completely unable to identify and remember faces. So the man she spent all night dancing with and kissing – the man she thought she’d brought home – was ‘Pink Shirt’.
But the shirt on her floor is blue.
And now Laura must go to work every day, and face the man who took advantage of her condition. The man she has no way of recognising.

She doesn’t know who he is . . . but when she finds him she’ll make him pay.

I picked this up in Sainsburys with claire Douglas new book and couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

This is a unique tale of who done it .

Suspicions run high and unease heightens as Laura is desperate to find out who the mystery man is.

I was completly and utterly hooked and this is a whirlwhind of emotions in a book.

Fast paced addictive and unpredictable… this is a incredible psychological thriller.

You will be turning thr pages to uncover the truth…

Who can Laura trust?

Buckle up for a twisty ride.

BOOK REVIEW DO NOT DISTURB BY CLAIRE DOUGLAS

Could your dream home beyour worst nightmare?

After what happened in London, Kirsty needs a fresh start with her family.
And running a guesthouse in the Welsh mountains sounds idyllic.

But then their first guest arrives.
Selena is the last person Kirsty wants to see.
It’s seventeen years since she tore everything apart.

Why has she chosen now to walk back into Kirsty’s life?
Is Selena running from something too?
Or is there an even darker reason for her visit?

Because Kirsty knows that once you invite trouble into your home, it can be murder getting rid of it . . .

This was just what i needed after a quiet few days on the reading front…summer holidays for you!

I escaped to the bath and devoured this in one go and can not recommend enough.

Claire is a amazing author at the top of her game in the psychological thriller genre. If you are yet to discover her writing then go and check her out.

This had a real dark feel (the shining ) to it and will leave you feeling rattled.

Who can you trust when everyone appears to be lying to you..

Things take a turn for the worse and just adds to the tension in the house.

Who is capable of the unthinkable?

This explores the depths people go to to protect themselves and others . It also heavily looks at family relationships and the impact stressful events has on them .
A real thought provoking page turner which will leave you shocked.

Excellently written and another great thriller.

BOOK REVIEW WILDE ABOUT THE GIRL BY LOUISE PENTLAND

Robin Wilde is acing life.
After the year from hell, she’s pulled herself up and out of The Emptiness, her love life is ticking along nicely, single motherhood is actually quite fun and she is ready for whatever life throws at her. When a thrilling opportunity at work arises, Robin is more than excited to step up and show everyone, including herself, what she’s made of.
But her best friend Lacey is increasingly broken-hearted about struggling to conceive, and her daughter Lyla is starting to come out with some horrible attitudes she’s learning from someone at school. Is Auntie Kath hiding loneliness under her bubbly, loving veneer? And can Robin definitely trust the people she must depend on in her fab new role?

But Robin has her girls. And her girls have got her. Together they can handle any crisis. Can’t they?
Life is about to throw quite the curve ball at Robin Wilde, and she’ll need to make some pretty brave choices if she’s going to stop everything she cares about falling apart .

I am a huge fan of louises and had the pleasure of being a early reader for her debut. I was so happy my review was in the paperback of wilde like me and then in wilde about the girl.

Thank you so much !

Im a single mum so it was like getting a recognition for sonething worthwhile, other than being a mum..

I couldn’t wait to read her second book and im thrilled to say it didnt disappoint.

This was read in a few hours and left me wanting more.

Absolutly hilarious and heartwarming.

We are reunited with all of Robins nearest and dearest. Whats great is that we get to know more about them and see different sides to their charactars.

Sensitive subjects that make for emotive reading

I love Robin and all that she stands for in life as a hard-working single mum…but who isnt perfect!

I cant wait to see whats in store next for Robin and her family…

BLOG TOUR THE ADULTS BY CAROLINE HULSE

Claire and Matt are divorced but decide what’s best for their daughter Scarlett is to have a ‘normal’ family Christmas. They can’t agree on whose idea it was, or who said they should bring their new partners. But someone did – and it’s too late to pull the plug.

Claire brings her new boyfriend Patrick, a seemingly eligible Iron-Man-in-Waiting. Mattbrings the new love of his life Alex, funny, smart, and extremely patient. Scarlett, their daughter, brings her imaginary friend Posey. He’s a rabbit.

Together the five (or six?) of them grit their teeth over Organized Fun activities, drinking a little too much after bed-time, oversharing classified secrets about their pasts and, before you know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends – where this story starts – with a tearful, frightened, call to the police…

But what happened? They said they’d all be adults about this.

Firstly a big thank you to Lauren for my copy and having me on the tour.

Fresh voice in fiction with this debut of the summer.

Very relatable and i imagine quite relevent in todays society.

I certainly wouldn’t put myself into such a diffiult tense situation.

The charactar i enjoyed reading about the most was alex ironically as hasnt got kids of her own.

I personally found it a bit slow paced in places .

Families are difficult so imagine the difficulties when 2 families come together…

It wasn’t destined to end well but sometimes in order for change to happen it takes something drastic...

Published 23rd august and do check out the other blogs taking part.

BOOK REVIEW THE UNLIKELY HEROICS OF SAM HOLLOWAY BY RHYS THOMAS

Sam Holloway has survived the worst that life can throw at you. But he’s not really living. His meticulous routines keep everything nice and safe – with just one exception . . .

Three nights a week, Sam dons his superhero costume and patrols the streets. It makes him feel invincible – but his unlikely heroics are getting him into some sticky situations.

Then a girl comes along and starts to shatter the walls Sam has built around himself. Now, he needs to decide if he’s brave enough to take off the mask, and to confront the grief he’s been avoiding for so long . . .

Firstly a big thank you to Phoboe at wildfire books for my proof copy.

This was such a delightful read and i must say a day on amd i quite miss Sam and his quirky ways.

If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant you will love this .

Sam is a sensitive soul who has had a lot of heartache …but hes found his own unique way to cope.

However it soon becomes clear hes burying his head in the sand to avoid any more pain.

Full of warmth and wit and adventures this is a great life affirming book.

This will stay with me for a long time as sam is a character that will creep into your heart .

Published 9th August